which brand

I've got a question about choosing a blank.
Which blank (brand) would you choose for building a 9 ft #3 (2pc) fly rod with a medium action?

How much do you want to spend? That's the first question I would ask. What do you need in a warranty? Is color an issue? What about modulus?

Choosing a blank is about the hardest step in rodbuilding. There's tons of option to choose from. Hook and Hackle is a great supplier of rodbuilding equip and can answer a lot of your questions. They have a wide range of stuff at some great prices and their customer service is great!

All that said- the rod I'm currently building is a 9' 4wt 4pc on a batson forecast blank. Can't wait to get this one done!

Charlie

I would agree with the statements above. I would only add,this... Are you building the rod, if so how much experience do you have? Only a consideration involving the money you spend on your blank. To some folks a warranty is a major concern. Others choose to spend their money trying to keep up with the latest technology high modulas models.
As Charlie stated, there are some considerations to take into account before choosing a blank. Cost or Name brands are not the only factor.

[This message has been edited by Smernsky (edited 04 March 2005).]

First of all , I don't have any experience about rodbuilding, but you have to start once.
I am looking for a medium or mid flex action. I would like to spend about $200 for this project. Colour is not important. I expect first of all quality but I don't know if get that for $200.

You can build a top quality rod for around $100 dollars in components. You may need to spend another $25-$50 on tools and materials. I would echo the comments about Hook and Hackle. They have a 9ft 3wt 2pc in the matte black finish that gets rave reviews. I would call Bob and let him know what you would like to build. He will customize a kit to your liking and the price will be unbeatable. I would suggest using single foot wire guides on such a long lightweight rod. Other than that, have fun and give H&H a look. I have been shopping there for 5 years and have had nothing but great service. The Forecast blanks are also a quality blank for very little money.

HTH,

Lou

I have no plans to build a rod and still I have fun looking through their catalog at the components.

Leon DP. the hook and hackle has has a lots of good sales going on [url=http://www.mailordercentral.com/hookhack/:66a64]http://www.mailordercentral.com/hookhack/[/url:66a64] you can buy kits or blanks,,and h&h is a good place to buy from

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make a rod, catch a fish

Now that I know that you will be building a rod, may I echo Loudog's comments on the forecast blank. They are good quality, not expensive, and make a nice casting rod in the action your looking for. I have built and sold a number of them with no complaints.

[This message has been edited by Smernsky (edited 04 March 2005).]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the information. H&H does have a lot of blanks and other stuff to build a fly rod. I only have to make a good choise.

Leon

Don't assume that you are not getting good quality just because you spend less than you want. The H&H IM6 and forecast kits he has are really nice and produce a good quality rod. My personal preference on most kits is to upgrade the grip - I figure that the grip is the "user interface" and you want the best feeling cork you can afford.

What I did when I built my first rod, was to build something that would not be my primary rod, so that if it didn't come out great, it wouldn't be the rod that I'm looking at most of the time. However, if you take your time and aren't afraid to cut off crappy wraps and start over, you'll come out with a pretty nice product.

I'll try to post a pic later of the rod wrapper I built out of some scrap wood.

Charlie